In subway and other railway cars, buffing and draft forces between connected or coupled cars normally are transmitted to the underframes of the cars through draft gears or other suitable cushioning devices contained in their draft rigging. However, particularly in the case of subway cars, it is desirable that the draft riggings and underframes be protected from damage by abnormal buffing forces, such as experienced in collisions, by causing such forces to be transmitted directly between the bodies of the cars. This has been accomplished in the past by providing one or each of the connected cars with a releasing draft rigging within the drawbar which, while enabling the car bodies normally to be spaced by their couplers or other connecting means, will release under buffing forces above a pre-determined level and by telescoping of the connecting means into one or either car, to produce direct contact between the adjourning ends of the car bodies.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved releasing draft rigging which not only releases under abnormal buffing forces but is readily restorable to its initial condition.
Another object of the invention is to provide a draft rigging wherein the draft gear housing is positioned on a drawbar by shear bolts or pins designed to release at a desired force level in such a manner that the draft gear housing and coupler assembly slides on the drawbar after the release bolts shear so that long travel is provided to protect them from damage.